How We Rate And Review Pleasure Products 

Shop from the privacy of your home — feel like you’re in a store. 

O shop was founded in September 2022 with the mission of empowering you to choose pleasure products that are right for you. We deliver comprehensive, approachable reviews that take pleasure products seriously — without feeling salacious or taboo. In fact, we take pleasure so seriously, that we apply the same rigor to our reviews as you might see in a credit card review on NerdWallet, or in a vacuum cleaner review on Wirecutter. 

But we also know that choosing a pleasure product is personal. O shop reviews provide the privacy of shopping from your home with the feeling of being in a store, alongside an expert to answer questions. To create that experience, we follow a strict methodology for rating and reviewing pleasure products. Here are the nuts and bolts of an O shop review.

We review products that are O shop Certified  

O shop does not manufacture its own products. Instead, we aggregate from a number of reputable brands and retailers to create a highly curated catalog. Every product featured has been filtered through a rigorous process known as O shop Certification. This involves checking for such factors as, but not limited to: 

  • Best-selling across top retailers
  • Top-reviewed 
  • Body safe materials 
  • Consumer-friendly warranties
  • Discreet packaging 
  • Delivery speed

We’ve run 1,000+ products from 100+ reputable brands and retailers through this filtering system to bring you the O shop catalog. O shop Certification means we’ve already narrowed down the options to what we consider the best of the best at the lowest price available online. We review products from that selected pool. 

➡️ Why trust us: Read our O shop methodology to learn more about how we curate the O shop catalog, why you should trust us, and how we deliver the lowest prices available online.

How we write unbiased reviews 

O.school was founded as an education-first platform in 2017. When we launched O shop, we knew education would also take a front seat. That’s why we are not here to “push” or “sell” products, but to simply provide the information you need to make choices that feel right for you, your body, pleasure, lifestyle, and wellness goals. Here’s how we keep ourselves honest and our reviews unbiased. 

We maintain editorial independence

O shop remains independent from all manufacturers and retailers. Our reviews are not advertorial; nor do they specifically promote any one retailer or brand. We pledge full transparency to our readers with well-placed, clear disclaimer text if reviews have sponsorship. 

We leave personal opinions out of it

We noticed too many pleasure product reviews were entirely based on the reviewer’s personal experience testing and using the products. But we know that every body is different, with different sensitivities, needs, desires, goals, and more. That’s why we believe our personal experiences using a product are largely irrelevant to you. What feels good to us may not feel good to you, and vice versa. While we do not test products ourselves, we do include customer reviews and star ratings to communicate general sentiment around products. 

Science-reviewed 

Sometimes, products may come with certain health benefits, risks, or considerations. To deliver the information you need, we take a research-based approach and cite data, studies, surveys, and research, leaning more heavily on primary sources than tertiary references. Reviews that are particularly science or research-heavy are reviewed by a credentialed healthcare professional. 

How we rate products

Our experts have spent 1000+ hours collecting data on 100+ brands, retailers, and 1000+ products to analyze, compare, and review. We rely on our industry knowledge to deliver an objective take on products that offer subjective experience. Here’s how we rate and review products on O shop. 

We use a set criteria  

We rate products using our expertise of how it compares to others on the market and how it sits in the pleasure product space as a whole. We consider a wide range of criteria typically seen across pleasure products, and review against this criteria.

Functionality
  • Durability
  • App-controlled
  • Charge
  • Battery life
  • Number of modes: vibration, speed, intensity
  • Volume level
Product details
  • Quality of construction
  • Dimension: size and weight
  • Eco-friendly material
  • Water proof
Aesthetics
  • Sleek
  • Materials
  • Realistic, not realistic
Customer service
  • Customer support
  • Return policy
  • Payment options
  • Warranty
  • Discreet shipping
  • Delivery speed
Convenience
  • Cleaning ease
  • Dishwasher safe
  • Easy to set up and use
  • Travel-friendly
  • Travel lock
Inclusivity
  • Accessibility
  • Skin tone variety
  • Body shape and size variety
  • Women-owned
  • Queer-owned
Tried and true
  • How long it’s been on the market
  • Customer satisfaction
  • Number of reviews

We provide a ‘Hot take’ 

We reserve a space in our reviews called the “Hot take” where we disclose our overall impression of the pleasure product. We consider the criteria above and how the product measures up and compares to other similar products on the market. Our Hot take is based on the following factors: 

  • Design
  • Performance 
  • Bang for your buck 
  • How it compares to similar products
  • General sentiment (Reviews and star rating) 

Based on these factors, we discuss whether or not we think the product is worth trying. For example, if a product has limited functionality, but performs very well at a price point that is lower than similar products, we’d recommend that product. On the flip side, if a product promises to deliver many different things, but only does a few of those things well, and comes at a high price, we will explain why we think this product comes up short against its competition. 

We highlight what sets it apart  

Because all pleasure products we review have already been O shop Certified, they will boast some common features, such as body safe materials, consumer-friendly warranties, and more. In our “What sets it apart” section, however, we call attention to any particularly unique highlights — think: A butt toy that sports an electroshock feature for BDSM play — and why that particular feature might push it over the edge when compared to its competition. 

We know ‘benefits’ and ‘drawbacks’ are not ‘must-haves’ and ‘deal-breakers’ 

While we remain objective when reviewing products, we also understand that reviewing pleasure products is not like reviewing a credit card or a vacuum cleaner. We know that subjectivity cannot be entirely taken out of the equation — and shouldn’t be. That’s why we don’t consider the benefits and drawbacks of a product as being “must-haves” or “red flags.’ 

What one person might consider a minor flaw in a product, another might consider a total deal-breaker. What one might consider a “must-have” feature another might consider as “nice to have, but unnecessary.” Every person is different, with different wants, needs, and desires, we are careful not to claim any “pro” or “con” as being a black-and-white indicator of if a product is worth trying or not. Our “benefits and drawbacks” section is only meant to help guide a reader’s decision-making process on if a product may meet current sexual pleasure and wellness goals. 

We provide customer reviews and star ratings 

While we leave our personal opinions out of the equation, we do rely on public opinion around a product to communicate the general sentiment. We showcase reviews from real customers who have bought products from O shop and let the reviews speak for themselves. We also aggregate star ratings across ten retailers where the product is sold and take the average of that rating and feature it on our reviews. 

We recommend who it’s best for — and who it’s not  

Similar to how we know benefits and drawbacks are not “must-haves” and “deal-breakers,” we know that there are no one-size-fits-all products. That’s why we try to meet readers where they are at, considering where they are in their sexual wellness and pleasure journey, what they are seeking currently, and if the product at hand can suit their needs and sexual wellness goals. For example, a person who is new to butt play may be very intrigued by an anal training kit. That product might be right for them, while wrong for a person who is quite advanced, and seeking a single pleasure product that is heavier, larger, and will give them a more “full” feeling. 

There is something out there for everyone, and we know that what’s best for one person may not be best for another. We also know that what’s best for someone now can change in the near, mid, or far future. After all, the pleasure products that interest you should hopefully change and evolve as you change and evolve as a person. Think of your pleasure products as part of your holistic wellness journey.